Hey Alex,

are you able to log into your home router to see if it has an IP address?

Also have you tried a factory reset?

Thanks for sharing your ideas !!

I tried both. The Essence's IP adress isn't visible as it seems to me that the unit doesn't even start. And so it's with a Reset...which I tried several times. But as the manual says, resetting the Essence is only possible if the green LED is ON ...and not flashing.

Alex

I fear that the Essence has somehow being bricked 🙁

I fear that the Essence has somehow being bricked 🙁

Have you got the Essence plugged in via Ethernet? if so, can you try another cable or test your cable to make sure it works? the manual states the essence cannot be reset unless it has a network connection.

I immediately tried this. Took another cable and plugged the Essence to the mains. 20 minutes are gone and sadly there’s no change to the flashing LEDs. To me it seems that something went wrong during the update process or when I pulled the plug for trying a restart. 

I searched the web for finding some other way to reset the Essence completely, eventually a buttons sequence that could be used or something similar. But with no luck. Perhaps it’s time to contact a dealer or service station. Or to keep everything as it is…with an AirPort Express attached to the good old BM7000 :-) 

Just sharing how my Essence drama continued/ended:

After not having used it for nearly 2 weeks I decided to check the Essence again, connected to the mains, green/white LEDs flashing... no miracle happened.

I called a local B&o dealer, told my story and asked if the Essence can be checked/repaired.

In a very polite way he explained that there's no chance of repairing this unit anymore as it's an outdated product where no further support is given and no parts are available any longer. If I'd like to come around he could trying a reset (which was done 100 times ;-) ...and in the meantime I could have a deeper look at the S8 or the Beosound Core ;-) 

It's somehow sad that the Essence is dead. On the other hand this experience showed that the good old B&o components are still worth being in use.

After fiddling around with some (non B&O) Airplay speakers it turned out that:
first: sound quality wasn't by far not as good as with the Beovox/Beolabs  installed in nearly each room of the house
second: choosing the correct airplay speaker, telling Siri to continue playing music on that specific speaker or room in addition to other speakers, etc. was too complicate, not reliable and without the slightest chance of getting any WAF :-)

At the end of the day I decided to do the following:

One audio source only (Apple TV - HDMI audio extractor)

Keeping all MCL linked rooms, feeded by the use of a 1611 converter box and a Beolink ML/MCL.

Turning the "main room" into a "link room" as well because this gives independent volume control and access to local sources in the living room.

Everywhere in the house music is now simply turned on by pressing "TV" on Beo4, then telling Siri to play music, radio, podcasts on Apple TV (or "air-playing" content from an i-device to Apple TV)

It's so "clean", logical, convenient and comfortable..and to me still the one and only real multiroom system (in the Beolink understanding of multiroom).

Happy with this solution ..and the Essence is nearly forgotten

Alex